11th Coastal Battery

The 11th Coastal Battery, RBCA is a unit of the BC Army, and is one of the dedicated coast defence missile batteries of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery. Although formally the single-battery unit is designated an active force formation, only A Troop is actually active force; B Troop is manned by members of the Militia.

Some ranks in Royal BC Artillery units are different from those in other Army units. Specifically, in in all units of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery a Private is called a Gunner (Gnr), a Lance Corporal is called a Lance Bombardier (L Bdr) and a Corporal is called a Bombardier (Bdr).

History
The 11th Coastal Battery was formed at Barrett Point, Prince Rupert in 1914 with two BL 60-pounder field guns, and subsequently disbanded in 1919.

In 1938 the unit reformed at the same location with three BL 6-inch 26 cwt, which were replaced in 1941 with three Mk. 24 6-inch guns on Mk. 5 mounts. Further, there were six towed BL 60-pounder field guns for positionable defence, a QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss gun on a fixed mount, two Bofors QF 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and three searchlights. In 1943 the 60-pounders were replaced with six 8-inch Gun M1 203 mm heavy guns.

In 1949 the unit was relegated to Militia status and the fixed guns were removed in 1950, though the emplacements remained, and in 1953 two more Bofors AA guns were added.

The 11th Coastal served through most of the Cold War with the six 203 mm guns and three Bofors AA guns, and frequently exercised as heavy field artillery, but in 1979 the gun emplacements were refurbished and used for mounting Gabriel III surface-to-surface missile launchers. The 203 mm heavy guns were retired in 1983.

In 2006 the unit received the Hsiung Feng II surface-to-surface missile on towed launchers, and the Gabriel launchers were removed in 2007. Two of the three emplacements were removed in 2009, while the third was once again refurbished and a Mk. 24 6-inch gun was mounted for historical display purposes.

Regimental Alliances

 * Australia Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
 * Canada Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
 * India Regiment of Artillery
 * New Zealand Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
 * Rhodesia Royal Regiment of Rhodesian Artillery
 * South Africa South African Artillery Corps
 * United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Artillery